shy discus

[poppy]

My 5 discus do not get a lot of traffic, and when people are around they tend to hide in the back corner. They are in a 5ft oversize tank,I do regular water changes and they seem generally healthy.

How can I encourage them to be a bit more `showy` or `frièndly` and come out of their shell.

Thanks

Poppy

[kalebjarrod]

mine do the same

they seem to get used to people a bit more ever day

try getting everyone who walks by to feed them just a little

this should get the fish to associate food and people together bringing them out a bit more :wink:

[AdelaideAnt]

Every time someone walks up to the tank get them to put in a tiny pinch of food. This will allow them to associate people with food and they will come to the front for food. Also try making the tank as bare as possable so they have no choice but to get used to being out in the open.

One more thing, are their any territorial fish in the tank? the discus could be being bullied. Or they could be being stressed out by other fast moving tank mates.

Anthony

[DiscusMad]

I find if more than one is keen to come out any new discus are a bit more keen to see what the others are doing so they come out

[Mattzilla]

food is definately the key here. like ant said.... every time you walk past the tank drop a little bit of food in the tank. they soon stop seeing you as something scary. after not long as you get closer to the tank they start begging for food.

other things to help them relax is not to make sudden movements near them, try to avoid shadows flashing accrooss the tank, don't have the tank directly opposite a TV....and keep kids away from the tank....lol

try the food....it works every time

hth
matt

[kalebjarrod]

so i should get a barbed electric wire fence around my tank to protect it against Kaleb and Jarrod (my two boys)

geuss thats what scare the snot eater out of my fish during the day!

perhaps i could calm my boys down some.... ha ha ha ha ha ha ha :wink:

[Chris McMahon]

perhaps i could calm my boys down someI recommend 250ml Johnnie Walker per child, twice daily. Should slow the little buggers down some.

Super-gluing their feet to the floor is a cheaper alternative, but results in more noise.

[kalebjarrod]

got this new baysitter the other day

cheap and does a great job

she likes to call herself "locked in the walkin wardrobe for eight hours"

must be some foriegn name or somthing....

me and my wife love her quiet demenire though.